in 1913, Toivola got its own post office and Saralampi became the first postmaster.
The forests provided the first livelihood for the settlers in Toivola, and it was not until the forests had been cut down that farming really began in earnest. But when the turn came for farming, it developed into what the History o f St. Louis County has called one of the most prosperous of farming regions, and an exclusively Finnish farming community.
The first child born in Toivola was Violet Mannila. The first couple to get married there were Fiina Holma and Frans Lahti. John Heikkilä's infant son was the first Finn to die and be buried there. The first school, for the children of Sand Creek, was held in the home of Herman Larva from 1904 to 1906, with Olga Huotari as the teacher for the dozen children. But the number of children was increasing, so a separate schoolhouse was built on Larva's farm in 1906. For the children living along the river that was too far away, so another school was opened in Tuomas Arkola's house. Arkola, by the way, was the first shopkeeper in Toivola.
The local cooperative, the Toivola Mercantile Association, was begun in 1914. Its first board of directors was made up of Frans Lahti (chairman), Matt Rahko (vice-chairman), John Mäkitalo (secretary), Gust Lahti (treasurer), Erick Mannila, Jacob Rahnasto and Alfred Taipale. (These men were all born in Finland; after World War II, not a single one was left on the board, now made up of 6 second-generation Finns and 3 nonFinns.) When the first business manager, Constant Nyman, took charge there was $143.25 in cash on hand. Nyman was succeeded by Aaro Ruuska, and the latter by S. O. Muuttonen in 1919. In 1923 the cooperative built itself a new store. Ten years later, annual sales figures had reached $23,000 but in 1944 were $163,000 and in 1954 over $216,000. (In fact, total sales in the first 40 years of operations were $3,349,906 - a big figure for a small town.)
First new home in Toivola, 1901. Mrs. Victor Lahti
stands at the left in front of the house.
$90